Dampier

The statue of RED DOG (the Pilbara Wanderer) had a steady stream of visitors whilst we were in Dampier. Whether it had something to do with the release of the movie 'Red Dog' we're not sure. Red Dog certainly plays a part in the history of Dampier, there is even a table of press cuttings and books set up in the local library for viewing. The movie was filmed outside the caravan park where we stayed.































We loved this humourous sculpture in the Dampier salt beds






Historic Sam's Island off the Dampier foreshore.
Sam Ostojich arrived in the Pilbara in the 1960's. He fell in love with Tidepole Island and by hand he turned the rocky site into an oasis, building his own castle which he called home. He died in 2005 and is buried on the island.







Long Iron Ore Train of 200+ carriages















Train Museum






















Container Ships lined up waiting for iron ore

NEW NORSICA

Australia's Spanish Town, New Norcia is the only monastic town in Australia. The New Norcia Mission was founded in 1846, a vision of Benedictine Monks Dom Rosendo Salvado and Dom Joseph Serra.


New Norsica Hotel






















St Joseph College

&

St Gertrude College



















The Monastery















The Abbey Church














The historic Flour Mill

Geraldton

We were fortunate to be in Geraldton to witness the arrival of the 'Endeavour' replica which is currently circumnavigating Australia. It was quite a ceromony with a reproduction of the 'BATAVIA' longboat rowing out to meet it amid a cannonball salute before escorting it to port.



















HMAS Sydney II Memorial - Geraldton. The centre of the memorial is the 'Dome of Souls' sculpted from a flock of 645 stainless steel Silver Gulls (each gull represents one of the 645 men lost)











The Geraldton Cathedral and its usual interior striped paintwork